8 Marvel Heroes Who Straight-Up Stole Ghost Rider’s Look

Ghost Riderhas one of the fiercest looks in Marvel Comics; naturally, this has prompted the publisher to experiment with many different incarnations of the hellish hero over the years. Notably, Marvel has featured many storylines in which other iconic heroes have gained the Spirit of Vengeance and Ghost Rider’s trademark skull-on-fire.

Whether they stole Ghost Rider’s look, were gifted the Spirt of Vengeance’s powers, or were pressed into the service of Mephisto, each of these heroes has sported the look at one point or another, in both canon and non-canon Marvel sources.

This list explores the versatility of the Ghost Rider design, as applied to other Marvel heroes in some particularly noteworthy instances.

Punisher

First Appearance: Thanos #13, Written By Donny Cates; Art By Geoff Shaw’ Published In 2018

Over the last few years, Cosmic Ghost Rider has become the most prominent, most highly-regarded Spirit of Vengeance variant in Marvel lore.That is especially notable considering that Marvel’s strategy lately has been to “flood the zone,” so to speak, offering up new, inventive takes on the infernal hero at an almost-dizzying pace.

Cosmic Ghost Rider is Frank Castle, known in his terrestrial vigilante days as the Punisher. Castle’s tenure as the Cosmic Ghost Rider proved to be a huge hit for fans, who approved of the radical departure from the anti-hero’s usual milieu thanks in large part to the exciting interstellar evolution of the recognizable Ghost Rider character design.

Cosmic Ghost Rider could have been a short-lived novelty character, but instead he’s become a staple of Marvel’s stories taking place beyond the confines of Earth. As one of the most powerful Ghost Riders ever, and also one of the coolest looking, he is also a strong candidate for adaption into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Doctor Strange

Happened In: Doctor Strange: Damnation, Written By Donny Cates And Nick Spencer; Art By Rod Reis; Published In 2018

Alongside Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange is Marvel’s most recognizable magic-wielding character. He is also the best known Sorcerer Supreme in Marvel lore. He’s accustomed to tangling with supernatural forces of darkness, but in the memorable Damnation event miniseries, the villain Mephisto managed to get the best of him.

Strange was turned into a Ghost Rider against his will, as were several of his Avengers colleagues. The imagery of the hero in a dark upgrade to his usual costume, while sporting the Spirit of Vengeance’s iconic flaming skull, made the story beat a worthwhile detour into Mephisto’s service for the hero, even if it was short-lived.

Black Panther

Happened In: Infinity Wars, Written By Gerry Duggan, With Art By Mike Deodato Jr.; Published In 2018

2018 was a wild time for the Marvel Universe, and clearly Ghost Rider was at the apex of his prominence in the publisher’s plans. That year, Marvel put out the Infinity Wars crossover, in which Gamora used the Infinity Stones to “fold” the Universe in on itself, creating what came to be known as “Warp World.” Ghost Panther is illustrative of the result.

That is, Black Panther and Ghost Rider were fused together into a single being, who rode a flaming panther into battle, as opposed to a motorcycle. Ghost Panther proved to be among the most dynamic Warp World characters, and stands out as one of Marvel’s most exciting Ghost Rider variants. However, Infinity Wars didn’t stop there.

Black Panther/Thor/Iron Man

Happened In: Secret Wars: Arachknight Annual #1, Written By Al Ewing; Art By Carlos Villa; Published In 2019

“Warp World” was a unique concept that gave Marvel the opportunity to explore mash-ups of its best characters. It was over-the-top, and a glorious superhero story contrivance, but it worked. Amazingly, Marvel then decided to double down on the concept: it “folded” Warp World in on itself again, amalgamating its amalgamated characters even further.

T’Challa Odinson was the result. Whereas Warp World’s “Ghost Panther” was a version of Black Panther imbued with Ghost Rider’s powers, “Ghost Hammer” merged him with “Iron Hammer,” the combination of Iron Man and Thor. The result was an Asgardian T’Challa, who wielded Mjolnir, and was also possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance.

Deadpool

Happened In: Marvel Puzzle Quest; Debuted In 2020

Ghost Rider Deadpool is a special case, because he originates from a source outside Marvel canon: Marvel Puzzle Quest, the puzzle-based video game. The game’s backstory for this demonic version of Deadpool is a lighthearted tale, involving a celebrated taco truck, but the end result is still the same: Wade Wilson is pressed into Mephisto’s service as the Spirit of Vengeance.

It is surprising that Marvel has been sitting on this character concept for years, without ever putting him in a comic, aside from a tie-in variant cover released around the same time the character debuted in Puzzle Quest. Still, the very existence of the Ghost Rider Deadpool idea means he’s out there in the Marvel Multiverse somewhere, and an eventual appearance is almost inevitable.

Red Hulk/Venom

Happened In: Venom #13-14, Written By Rick Remender; Art By Tony Moore; Published In 2012

This is another hyperbolic mash-up of multiple Marvel heroes, one that came years before ‘Warp World” was a thing. In this case, Red Hulk wound up briefly bonding with the Venom symbiote, and then also acquiring the Spirit of Vengeance, giving the Venomized Red Hulk the powers and aesthetic of Ghost Rider.

This was a creative move designed for pure spectacle, and it delivered. The character’s look, and also his language, were a pitch-perfect blend of all three characters, blending Venom, Hulk, and Ghost Rider’s styles and speech patterns. The character design wasn’t meant to last, but it served up some unforgettable visuals while it did.

Falcon/Captain America

Appeared On Federico Vincenti’s Variant Cover For Avengers #14; Published In 2024

Like Deadpool Ghost Rider, this version of Sam Wilson as the Spirit of Vengeance is only hypothetical, as of now. The character was conceptualized by artist Federico Vincentini for a variant cover; his illustration features Wilson in his Captain America gear, swinging a red-hot chain around his flaming skull. Immediately, fans started campaigning for a full Marvel canon appearance.

In Marvel lore, Ghost Rider’s powers are bestowed, rather than innate. Just like with the Venom symbiote, this makes the Spirit of Vengeance especially adaptable to different hosts. When iconic heroes, like Sam Wilson, are given the chance to become the Ghost Rider, however briefly, it tends to highlight core attributes of their characters in a fascinating way.

Spider-Man

First Appearance: Incredible Hulks Annual #1, Written By John Layman; Art By Al Barrionuevo; Published In 2011

These days, the most well-known Ghost Spider in Marvel canon is a variant of Gwen Stacy. Years earlier, though, the moniker was adopted by an antagonist version of Peter Parker, who was actually somewhat redeemed after being granted the Spirit of Vengeance. It might not have been the most memorable story arc, but the Ghost Spider design was certainly unforgettable.

The inverted black-and-white colors of the suit add to this incarnation of Spider-Man’s ethereal, haunting look. Ghost Spider also sports a notable twist on Ghost Rider’s familiar fiery skull, making it a chilling blue flame instead of the usual orange-and-red hellfire which consumes the Ghost Rider in most versions of his look.